Herman Miller

Before it was Herman Miller, it was Michigan Star Furniture Company and D.J. De Pree had been working there for 4 years as a clerk, after its opening in 1905. In an effort to aid his son-in-law to buy the company, West Michigan businessman, Herman Miller bought Michigan Star Furniture Company in 1923. Subsequently, the company was renamed Herman Miller and within due time the Herman Miller brand name became synonymous with modern furniture as the company grew and employed well known designers such as: George Nelson and Charles and Ray Eames; under who the company would produce pieces that would become some of the world's most iconic and well known designs.

Since the company's re-branding, collaborations with designers like Isamu Noguchi, Alexander Girard, Robert Propst, Bill Stumpf, Don Chadwick, Ayse Birsel, Studio 7.5, Yves Behar, Doug Ball, and etc have aided with the company's growth; turning Herman Miller into one of the most influential brands in today's design market. Herman Miller furniture is well recognized around the world for elevating the design of any commercial or residential setting. As a leading brand that boasts modern and mid-century modern designs, Herman Miller has effectively put itself on the map as a key and notable brand that continues to stay at the forefront of producing great designs that will not only maintain relevance but quality as well. From pioneering ergonomic office furniture to stewarding environmental leadership in business strategy and manufacturing processes, Herman Miller's commitment to quality and the world around us continues to be a factor in driving their design solutions for the modern home and workspace. And with proven, all-around reputable pieces, it is without a doubt that any authentic Herman Miller furniture will guarantees lasting excellence throughout the decades to come.

Ward Bennett began his design career at age 13, when he quit school to work in the garment district in New York City. At age 15, he designed his first clothing collection; at age 16 he left for Europe where he continued working on fashions. It was while Bennett was in Europe that he attended art schools in Florence and Paris. But the designer considered himself mostly self-taught, with skills that ranged from illustrating, sculpting and jewelry-making to furniture, interior and home design.

Bennett eventually settled back in New York where his reputation earned him some of the day's most affluent clients: David Rockefeller and Chase Manhattan Bank, Tiffany & Co., Sasaki, Italian industrialist Gianni Agnelli and Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner. Former President Lyndon Johnson asked Bennett to design a chair for his presidential library that would be "a cross between a barroom chair and a courtroom chair with a little Western saddle."

Simplicity and comfort were always his goals and Bennett says he learned a great deal about lumbar support, the importance of chair arms, and designing the right "pitch". Ward Bennett designed more than 150 chairs in his lifetime.

Bennett, who died in 2003, is considered the first American to use industrial materials for home furnishings, well before the high-tech look of the 1970s became popular. He was hailed by the American Institute of Architects for "transforming industrial hardware into sublime objects." Many of Bennett's designs are in the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection as well as in the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum; he is also in Interior Design magazine's Hall of Fame.

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